Last night is still surreal

I'm still a little shocked that it actually happened. Sure, like most MSU fans, I thought that we had a shot. This is the best team we have fielded since the late 90s. But Tiger Stadium, at night, in front of 102,000 fans?

Maybe we can catch Auburn off guard.

We decided to head down anyway. I woke up Saturday morning feeling good. Maybe we can do this, I thought. The first "Tiger Bait" of the day came a long way from Death Valley. As I ordered beignets at the Cafe du Monde on Veterans Highway in Metairie, I was greeted with a Tiger Bait from a couple of fans that had taken their seats.

We made our way West on I-10. As we came to the La Place exit, I smiled. It was there, at a scramble event at the Belle Terre Country Club, that this hack of a golfer sunk my only hole in one. I swear I saw an alligator off the 14th green as well. Louisiana.

We made our way to Baton Rouge, parked what seemed to be three miles from the stadium, and started making our way around campus. I'm a geek for college campuses, so I like to look around. Its been a while since I have walked these grounds, so I took my time. All SEC campuses are beautiful, and unique in their own right, but the A&M College of Louisiana is distinct.

Wearing a maroon polo and khakis, as well as tennis shoes that my wife says looks horrible with khakis, we started making the trek to the stadium. The smell of Jambalaya and Gumbo in the air, I was greeted with a fair share of enthusiasm for the purple and gold. Seems that a smile and a thumbs up will get you high fives and invitations to the table, rather than the piss bombs and middle fingers that are legend.

As we found our seats, at the top of a decent maroon contingent, it was hard not to be impressed. Anyone that loves this game like I do has to respect the palace that is Tiger Stadium. I wonder which end zone the earthquake catch was made in. Where did Billy Cannon run down the sideline on Halloween night?

We cheered as our Bulldogs made their way on the field for warmups, and the stadium filled with gold clad fans. Game time was quickly approaching - and I still thought we had a chance. "Dak has to play lights out," a nearby fan and I discussed.

The Golden Band from Tigerland entered the field for its pre game. Four notes, F, F, F and G told me that this wasn't our night. I questioned making the trek down here - but in reality it was as much a quick trip away without the kids as it was about the game.

It was as loud as I have ever heard. The frenzy built up as the game kicked off. State got a quick stop and put a touchdown on the board quickly. "Good start," conversed my unknown neighbor and I.

Then came the first of two key points in the game. The goal line stand, followed by a 98-yard drive to go up 14-0. That simply deflated the crowd, and energized the vastly outnumbered MSU fans.

Taking a 17-3 lead into halftime didn't seem like enough. "Needed to get another score on that drive," we conversed, as we pretended we actually knew what we were talking about. "But we get the ball first in the second half."

On the first play of the second half, Dak was stripped away from the ball and a game that had gone MSU's way was quickly 17-10. The demons that haunt State in Tiger Stadium had awakened.

But then it happened. Call it a "Heisman moment," if you will. I will simply call it a moment of leadership that has never been displayed by a QB wearing maroon and white. The defensive touchdown had awakened and energized the crowd. The tenseness that I spoke about earlier in the week was evident. But Dak Prescott channeled his inner Cam Newton and scampered 50 yards for a touchdown to make the score 24-10, then found Lewis for the score to go up 31-10. That's what leadership is about.

You all know how it ended. The Lewis touchdown sent many for the exits. Another field goal sent many more. But those of us who have seen this streak of 14 straight knew that we weren't safe until the clock hit zero.

I can't blame Mullen for not trying to score again when we were inside the five, but a FG would have been nice. I can't blame him for putting in backups and 3rd stringers. The stadium was mostly empty, but you can't see the demons.

It was only fitting that this game ended like that. It would have been too easy to end 15 years of frustration with a blowout on the scoreboard. As the final hail mary was intercepted, a collective exhale among us 3-4,000 State fans in the stadium, and the tens of thousands no doubt glued to their TVs could be heard. It was over. The scoreboard said the game was over, and the visitors had more points. That doesn't happen many times here.

I'm not a coach, I'm just a lowly fan. But maybe Mullen can learn something from the animal world. You see, the bulldog was bred to fight bulls - a much larger, stronger animal. The bulldog was trained to find the weakness - to bite the bulls nose and not let go until the bull suffocated. If the bulldog let go, the odds were in the bulls favor. All those close games against Bowling Green and Troy were a lot like last night. Completely dominated by MSU, but we didn't suffocate the bull. Mullen needs to learn that we are not in the position to let up.

The best thing for this team right now is a week off. The best thing for these fans is a week off. That slut Reveille comes to town in two weeks, and they are a bigger challenge than originally thought. One things for sure, it will be an electric environment - and if State manages another upset win, here comes Auburn, the one that we thought we might be able to get at the beginning of the season.

A split of the next two will mean a special season is on tap. Losses to the next two - and an 8-9 win year is still very possible. But what if. What if in two home games in front of what will be the two largest crowds in school history. What if ...